Gods and Monsters
by dmpotts1984
Summary: When Hercules mysteriously appears in the woods outside Storybrooke, his presence causes grief for one of the town's residents. New villains for our heroes to face, new lands to be explored.
1. Chapter 1

**Fairytale Land: Missing Year**

Killian stood at the bow of the Jolly Roger, taking in the sight before him as the blip of a distant kingdom came into view. He could have just stayed in the Enchanted Forest; logically this would be where he was most likely to find any hope of a way back to Storybrooke. But as the days wore on, his hopes continued to dwindle, he was growing tired of Smee's attempts to "cheer him up" by buying him bar wenches, and he was restless. So he had rallied his crew and set sail in hopes that some distance would help him forget that he would never see Emma again and possibly assuage himself of the guilt he felt over taking someone else's happy ending simply because he had lost his.

"_I was wrong about you Captain, you're selfish and you're heartless. That is what will bring you wasted years and endless torment, and I feel sorry for you_," Ariel had said to him just before she leapt into the ocean swimming off after her only link to finding her lost prince; the link that Killian had just condemned to death by shark infested waters.

It only took a few more hours for the ship to reach its destination and dock at the port of Thebes and night was settling in. Killian left his crew to tend to the details of ensuring the safety and security of the Jolly Roger and ventured off to find either the local tavern or some other form of night life that might help him forget his current troubles. Thebes didn't seem to be unlike many of the other kingdoms he had visited on his travels. There was much less greenery, and the humid climate reminded him of his time spent in Neverland. The architecture was much less flashy than some of the palaces he'd seen in the Enchanted Forest, much of it seemingly built out of stone. It did have one thing in common with most of the places he'd been, and he smiled as he entered the marketplace and followed a gaggle of drunken men and busty women to a nearby Inn and Tavern. Once inside, he found a table and not long after, enticed a group of locals to join him for a few games of dice.

Killian sauntered out of the tavern a few hours later, buzzed enough for his mood to have lightened, but not drunk enough to forget. He smiled to himself as he tucked a pouch of coins and his trusty loaded dice into his pocket and set back off toward the harbor. The next thing he knows he was slammed into by someone running down the pier and found himself flat on his back, the wind knocked out of him. He lay there momentarily stunned, taking a few gasping breaths as stars swim in front of his eyes.

"I am so sorry!" a flustered female voice rings out.

Killian managed to push himself to a sitting position, his breathing slowly normalizing and finds his assailant dusting herself off and extending a hand to help him up. He eyes her up and down, scowling a bit. She's covered from head to toe in a dark cloak, her face obscured. The only thing visible is a pair of sandaled feet.

"I really am sorry about that," she says again, her hand still extended.

Killian notes that she seems distracted, glancing around as if she is looking for something or someone. After a moment he takes her hand and lets her help him to his feet.

"Well since you seem to have a grievance against my ribs," he huffs, "Would you mind telling me your name?"

The woman looks around again and seems to be about to answer when a voice hollers out, "You there, halt! By order of the Queen!"

Killian automatically reaches for the sword at his hip as a few more men appear out of the dark, surrounding them on both sides and he wonders what he's gotten himself into.

"I suppose introductions will have to wait," the woman chuckles, reaching into her cloak and pulling out her own sword. She turns to the first man to step into her space, raising her sword and verbally spars with her opponent, "You can tell the Queen if she wants me, she can come get me herself!"

He quickly turns back to fending off his own opponent. He and the woman are standing back-to-back, each of them fending off what Killian assumes is now some Queen's royal guards. They continue sparring, battling fiercely for their lives, metal clanking with metal, bodies dropping with heavy thuds. Every so often Killian glances over, making sure the woman doesn't need any assistance and finds that she seems more than capable of handling herself. It's in a moment of distraction that he hears her holler at him.

"Duck!"

Killian ducks as she swings her sword over his head, taking down one of the men who had come up behind him. It doesn't take long before they are both panting and trying to catch their breaths, a pile of dead guards on the ground around them.

"Now…would probably be a good time," Killian bends forward, resting his hand and hook on his knees as he breaths heavily, "For you to fill me in on…" he waves his hand at the carnage.

"I suppose since I saved your life, Captain, I at least owe you my name," the woman replied, slowly lowering the hood of her cloak. A mass of dark brown hair tumbled out, falling around her face. She gave her head a shake and reached up to pull the stray hairs up into a band on the top of her head. "The name's Megara, but Meg will do. And we should probably get out of here before more of these idiots show up."

* * *

**Storybrooke: Present Day**

Killian made his way down to the diner, choosing to use the back hallway that connected the restaurant with the Inn. Normally he would simply grab two coffees and wait for Emma at her yellow vessel before walking her to work, but she had called him and wanted to meet for breakfast. The diner was unusually crowded this morning, and he scanned the room looking for a place to sit. He spotted Meg sitting alone at one of the far booths and sauntered over, dropping down in the empty bench across from her. She looked surprised for a moment that he would choose to join her over any of the other diner patrons.

"Good morning, Meg," he greeted her cordially.

"Good morning, Captain Hook," Meg replied with a smirk, "Wait, I forgot. It's Killian now, right?"

"I haven't seen much of you around since the curse that brought us back," he eyed her as he picked up a menu. "How are you settling into this world?"

"I'm nothing if not adaptable," the brunette said with a shrug. "You seem to be doing quite well here though. Where's the old ball and chain today? It's strange not seeing you attached to her side."

Killian ran his tongue against the roof of his mouth. He'd forgotten Meg could be a bit cheeky. "She's actually meeting me here for breakfast."

"Speak of the devil," Meg gestured toward the door just as Emma entered the restaurant and made her way over to them.

"Good morning, love," Killian smiled as Emma cast a sideways glance at the other woman and leaned over to give him a kiss.

"Well then, I will leave you two lovebirds to it," Meg said, rolling her eyes slightly as she slid out of the booth. "Good seeing you again, _Killian. _You too, Emma."

Emma slid into the other side of the booth across from Killian. "Boy you know everyone, huh?"

"You should know as well as anyone, everyone in this town has some sort of connection to each other," Killian replied. "I can assure you, Meg and I are merely acquaintances."

Choosing to let the topic go, Emma flagged over the waitress. They ordered their food and ate in relative silence, then grabbed coffees to go and headed to the station. Emma settled in behind her desk and while she waited for her dinosaur of a computer to boot up, finally got up the nerve to ask, "So, how do you know Meg?"

Killian swallowed a sip of his coffee. "Are you going to do this every time you find out I have a past with someone of the female persuasion? If so, we are in for some bumpy seas."

He was referring to their previous discussion on his past with Ursula the sea witch, a conversation that resulted in both of them ending up more than a bit heated.

"I'm just asking," Emma huffed. "Just…trying to get to know more about you."

"In this instance, love, I can assure you that I did not break her heart, I never wronged her or stole from her, or anything of the dastardly sort. Honestly, I really don't know much about her other than she was once married. She needed to flee her kingdom and I assisted her in doing so."

Their conversation was interrupted by the telephone ringing. Killian was just about to leave the office and let Emma alone with her work when she held up a hand for him to stop.

"Where did they find him?" she asked the person on the other end of the phone. "How long ago? He's at the hospital now? Yeah, yeah we'll be right there."

"What is it, Swan?" Killian asked.

"The Merrymen found an unconscious body in the woods. Your friend Meg...her full name is Megara, right?"

"Yes," Killian replied slowly. "Swan what are you getting at?"

"And you said she was married once?"

Killian nodded.

"The man they found in the woods, he regained consciousness at the hospital. He told them he desperately needed to speak to his wife and that his name was Hercules. He asked for Meg."

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: This chapter is a bit longer than I intended, but felt it was important to set the stage and provide a bit of background for Meg and her relationship with Hercules. For those of you who are looking for her to be strictly like the Meg from the Disney movie, you may be disappointed. My plan is to borrow a bit from both the Disney film, as well as what's known about her from the mythology, and of course my own little spin on things. One of the great things about this character is that there is not much known about her and thus it gives me a nice canvas to work with. I do hope people enjoy the story and as always, reviews are much appreciated. **

* * *

**The Past: Fairytale Land, Kingdom of Thebes**

Princess Meg flung open the window, smiling as she took in a breath of morning fresh air. Rumor had swept through the kingdom that the war was now over, the Minyans having been defeated, and peace had been restored to Thebes. Despite this glorious news, Meg had more pressing things on her mind. She was to meet Adonis today in the garden. He had been courting her for some time and she felt sure today would be the day he asked for her hand in marriage. Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice from the doorway.

"Princess Meg," Agyafa, her chamber maid spoke softly, giving a small curtsey, "the King has requested your presence in the Great Hall."

Meg turned, giving the young woman a smile and a nod, "Thank you Agyafa, that will be all."

"Yes ma'am," she replied, giving another curtsey and disappearing from the doorway.

Meg entered the great hall to find her father, King Creon, discussing the details with his court of what sounded like a grand dinner, more than likely to celebrate the end of the war.

"Father," she announced her presence with a bow.

King Creon turned, a bright smile upon his face as he reached for his daughter's hand. "Ah, there you are my dear. I am sure you've heard the glorious news that the Minyans have been defeated."

"Yes, father. I had heard the rumors."

With a wave of his hand, the King gestured for his servants and royal court to leave he and his daughter in privacy. Once they were alone, he took Meg by the arm and began to walk through the room. "Megara, my oldest daughter," he smiled.

Meg smiled back, suddenly feeling as if he had more news for her than just the end of the terror that had once ripped through their kingdom.

"It is never an easy task for a father to discuss such matters with his daughter," The King started.

"Father?"

Reaching up to stroke his beard, the King pondered how to approach what he was about to say. "I am sure you have heard of the many great warriors that fought so valiantly in the battle for our kingdom…"

"I have," Meg replied, her voice edged with a bit of suspicion.

"We lost many men," King Creon continued. "That is until a great warrior by the name of Hercules joined our fight."

"Yes, father," Meg nodded.

King Creon paused in their walking, turning to face his Meg. He looked into her eyes and suddenly felt the pang of loss. It was in times like these that he wished his wife was still alive. While he could talk battle and war and drink ale with his sons, his wife was much better when it came to helping him through matters dealing with his daughters. "You do so look like your mother," he said softly, clasping Meg's hand between his. "I suppose what I am trying to say is that tonight there will be a great feast, not only to celebrate the end of the war…but to celebrate your engagement."

Suddenly Meg felt like her heart was in her throat. She swallowed hard, willing herself not to vomit all over the floor.

"For all of his feats in defending our kingdom, I have promised your hand in marriage to young Hercules," King Creon continued. "He will make a fine husband, and it is time that you were married and began thinking of producing an heir of your own."

She wanted to scream, she wanted to run. What would she tell Adonis?

"What say you, my child?" King Creon asked with a gentle smile.

Her mind raced. _No, never!_

"Yes, father," was all she managed to get out. "I am sure he will make a fine husband."

_For some other woman but me!_

"Good, I am glad to hear you approve," King Creon replied, placing a kiss to his daughter's forehead. "Now, my dear, find Agyafa and begin readying for tonight."

Meg curtsied and turned to leave the hall as King Creon resumed his preparations for the evening. As soon as she was out of his sight, Meg did the only thing she could do: she ran. She needed to find Adonis, quickly, in hopes that they could make plans to flee the kingdom together. When she finally reached the garden, what she saw stopped her dead in her tracks. Adonis was there but he was not alone. In the very spot he had told her to meet him, he was tucked away with a busty blonde woman who giggled every time he nuzzled her cheek with his nose, and for the first time in her life, Meg felt her heart break into pieces.

* * *

**Storybrooke: The Present**

Killian and Emma were huddled together near the nurse's station, talking quietly amongst themselves when Meg came through the automatic doors.

"Is it true?" she asked cooly.

The pair turned around at the sound of her voice.

"You'll have to tell us," Emma replied. "He says he's Hercules and he's been asking for you."

Meg stood, frozen in her spot as she tried to quell the onslaught of emotions bubbling up inside. It was a mixture of sadness, rage and grief, and she would be damned if she let anyone see it spill out. "So he just…appeared in the woods?"

"I know this must be difficult, love," Killian spoke, looking to Emma for a moment. "But he took out two orderlies when they tried to tend to him. He's a bit out of sorts and we were hoping you might be able to…"

"Calm him down," Meg finished flatly. "Yeah, I get it."

It took another few moments before she finally looked up and asked where they were keeping him. Killian nodded to Emma, a silent confirmation that she should stay behind and wait for him. He led Meg down a small hallway where they stopped outside one of the rooms.

"Are you…alright?"

Meg looked up, her expression stone-faced. They could hear the commotion going on inside the room. "I should go in before he hurts someone."

Killian nodded, watching her disappear into the room.

She stood near the door in case she felt the need to make a quick escape. Hercules was in the bed, trying to fight off a nurse who had come to try and take blood for some test. As soon as he saw Meg, he stopped fussing and simply stared wide-eyed as if he was trying to decide whether or not she was really there. The nurse took the cue and decided it might be best to come back later and exited the room quickly. Once she was gone there was nothing but uncomfortable silence. Neither Hercules nor Meg knew what to say, or where to start.

"Megara," Hercules finally spoke.

The simple act of saying her name was almost enough to break her. She closed her eyes, fighting back against letting everything she'd been holding onto for so many years come out. If she gave in, she knew what the aftermath would be, and this was neither the time nor place for it. Once she felt like her emotions were somewhat in check she opened her eyes and looked up, finding Hercules, the husband she never expected to see again simply watching her, studying her.

"What are you doing here?" she finally asked.

"That's a very good question," he replied. "I have no idea. One minute I was with Hades-"

Meg's head snapped up, her eyes widening , "Hades? You got involved with Hades?"

"It's a long story, but after everything that happened I felt so much guilt that I thought maybe he could help me atone for…what I'd done."

"You're a fool, you know that?" Meg said coldly. "This town has enough trouble with monsters and evil sorcery. These are good people, and if you've brought him here…"

"I don't know that I've brought anyone here," Hercules spat back angrily. "I have no idea how I even got here. All I know is, he came to me and told me my services were no longer required. The next time I awoke I was in this institution being bloodletted. You might try letting me finish a thought before you cut me off."

"You have no right to expect anything from me after what you did," Meg fired back, her voice rising.

"I don't expect anything. I am well aware of the pain I caused you. But if you think for a moment I haven't spent every moment of every day of the last six years living with the pain and grief of what happened, you are sorely mistaken. It's not just about you and your suffering, Meg."

She needed to stop the exchange, take control over the situation and redirect it. "Look, I'll get you a room at the inn, I'll do my best to help you adjust to this realm, but I think it's probably best we keep our distance."

"Meg, that's not what-"

"I'll come back when they are ready to let you go," she interrupted and abruptly turned on her heel to leave the room.

Hercules watched her leave for the second time in his life, the only difference was this time it was her choice.

* * *

As promised, Meg had returned to the hospital a few hours later when Dr. Whale was satisfied his patient was healthy enough to leave. She handed him a stack of clothing, jeans and a button down shirt and an extra pair of boots, compliments of Killian, and turned away as he dressed.

"The clothing in this realm is a bit…constricting," he commented, fiddling with the buttons.

Satisfied that he was decent enough to be seen, Meg allowed herself to turn back around. She reached over and pushed his hands away, buttoning the shirt herself. "You'll get used to it."

After signing a few papers, they crammed into the back of Emma's yellow Bug and spent the five minute ride in uncomfortable silence. They pulled up in front of Granny's and climbed out, walking ahead as Killian and Emma hung behind to give them privacy. Meg explained a bit about the diner as they walked inside. She introduced him to Granny and then led him through the connecting hallway that led to the inn.

"Try the lasagna sometime," she told him, doing her best to limit eye contact.

Once they reached the room she unlocked the door and handed him the key then busied herself explaining how certain things worked. Not wanting to overwhelm him she stuck to the basics, like adjusting the knobs of the shower.

"There's some extra clothes in one of the drawers," she told him.

"Thank you Meg," he replied, giving her a small smile.

She turned away, refusing to look at him and trying to push away the weak feeling in her knees at the way it sounded when he said her name. "The diner closes at 9:00 pm," she continued, showing him the digital clock next to the bed. "Killian's room is right across the hall, and I'm two doors down from him. So…if you need anything…"

Hercules nodded, sitting down on the bed and running his hand over the comforter.

"I'm sure you're tired, so…you should probably rest," she said, making her way to the door.

"Meg," Hercules said softly, just as she was about to leave.

She turned to face him, waiting for him to speak.

"I am sorry," he continued. "For everything."

The only thing she could muster was a small nod of her head and she quickly closed the door behind her. She leaned against it and closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths before heading to her own room down the hall.

* * *

Killian rubbed his eyes tiredly, padding down the stairs and through the back hallway into the diner. It was late and the restaurant was closed, but he couldn't sleep for whatever reason. He knew Granny wouldn't mind if he snuck into the kitchen and made himself a sandwich.

"Fancy meeting you here," a voice called out.

He nearly jumped out of his skin with fright, turning to see Meg huddled up in one of the empty booths in the dark. "Bloody hell woman! You nearly scared me to death."

"Sorry," she chuckled, tucking her legs up to her chest and wrapping her robe a bit tighter around her.

"What are you doing down here this late?" he asked, slapping some lunch meat and various condiments between two slices of bread. He thought for a moment and put together another sandwich before making his way to the booth.

"Couldn't sleep," Meg replied. "Nice pants, by the way."

Killian felt the flush creep into his face as he looked down at the cotton pajama pants decorated with little ship anchors. Emma had gotten them for him, and although he had put up a fuss and claimed he would never wear them, they were quite comfortable. He slid onto the bench across from Meg and pushed the extra sandwich toward her.

He wasn't one to pry, but he felt in this instance maybe it might be a good idea to engage. "Would you like to talk about it?"

"Not much to say," Meg shrugged, picking a piece of chicken sticking out from the bread. "Long lost husband, who I've spent the last roughly six years wanting to punch in the face suddenly comes back, drama ensues."

"He has absolutely no idea how he ended up here?"

"Not a clue," Meg shook her head. "What concerns me most is that he was working with Hades."

"Hades? You mean the guardian of the Underworld?" Killian asked.

"The one and only. If he's involved in all of this, it's not going to be good."

"If I might ask, what exactly happened…between you two? You never divulged much on our voyage back to the Enchanted Forest."

Meg shifted uncomfortably in the seat. "It's a very long story, one I'm not quite sure I'm ready to talk about. We'll just say…a lot of history, a lot of pain, and a lot of unresolved grief and anger."

"I can understand that," Killian nodded. "Do you…think you might attempt to reconcile with him?"

"I honestly am doing my best to not think about that right now," Meg replied. "I'm more concerned with the why he is here and the who sent him."

"But you haven't discounted the possibility of taking him back?"

Meg raised an eyebrow, "Why are you so concerned over my love life..or..lack thereof?"

"I'm not," Killian coughed, squirming a bit. "I just know what it's like to spend your days seeking revenge, avoiding relationships, and pining from afar. It's an empty and hollow life."

"I've done the relationship thing, and it's never worked out. I think I'm past needing to have someone else to be content in my life. Also, I don't _pine._"

"I used to feel the same, but you shouldn't discount the possibility of finding love, be it with Hercules or someone else," Killian replied.

Picking at her sandwich she turned to face her late night dining companion. "Look, I'm really glad that things worked out for you and that you and Emma have this amazing thing between you, or whatever it is that you have. But I've come to the realization that it's just not in the cards for me, and I'm ok with that."

Sighing, Killian got up from the table to throw his napkin away and grab a glass of water. He wished there was something more he could say, but he knew the feeling of being tormented by love and loveloss. It would take more than a midnight pep talk from a 200-year-old pirate for Meg to change her mind.

"Thanks for the chat, Killian," Meg sighed, sliding out of the booth. "I appreciate it. But like I said, we probably have bigger things to worry about than whether or not I reconcile with my husband. If Hades is involved in any of this, we're in for trouble."

Killian watched her as she disappeared through the back of the diner and hoped that she was wrong about the threat of impending doom.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Lots of character development in this story, so stick with me. We will get to villainy and nastiness soon. **

* * *

**Fairytale Land: The Past, Kingdom of Thebes**

Hercules stood in the dining hall, watching out the window as Meg busied herself in the back garden. They had gardeners to tend to these things, but she seemed so keen to do it on her own, despite her condition, and so he granted her this respite. While he watched his wife work, his thoughts drifted. It had been roughly eight months since they had married and yet he couldn't help but feel a palpable distance between himself and his bride. While it was evident by the swell of her belly that they had shared intimate moments, moments where Hercules truly felt that any barriers between them were gone, their relationship outside the bedroom was vastly different. She held his hand as they traveled to the market, but it was mainly he who would reach for hers, and although she would smile when he tried to joke with her, something about it felt empty.

"You know, you really shouldn't allow your wife to attend to such strenuous labors," a voice from behind snapped Hercules out of his reverie. "It's not good for the baby."

"What are you doing here, Hera?" Hercules huffed, turning to face the woman who had a knack for being able to seemingly appear out of nowhere.

Hera rolled her eyes as she dragged her hand across a nearby ledge as if she was inspecting for cleanliness. "Now, now, my dear step-son, no need to be testy. I'm merely here to inquire about the health of my future grandchild and its mother. I am a midwife after all."

"Megara and our baby are just fine," Hercules replied coolly. "We have a wonderful midwife of our own who has assured us that everyone is healthy and well."

"You wound me, Hercules," Hera sighed. "That you've chosen not to use my services in the delivery of your child."

"We thought it was best this way."

"You mean, Meg thought it was best."

"_We _thought it best," Hercules repeated. "Decisions concerning our child are made together."

"Very well then," Hera replied with a huff. "It really is sad though."

"I'm sure there are plenty of other women with-child in need of your particular…skillset," Hercules replied. His relationship with his step-mother was tenuous at best. Hera had a temper, and it was well-known she did not favor Hercules due to the particular circumstances surrounding his parentage. It made him all the more suspicious of her concerns about his wife and child.

"Oh Hercules," she chuckled half-heartedly. "That's not what I mean."

Hercules swallowed hard. He would never ask her to explain herself, knowing she would tell him her thoughts regardless.

"It's simply a shame that the child will grow up with a mother who doesn't love its father," Hera continued.

"You speak of things you know nothing about," Hercules replied, clenching a fist at his side as he cast a sideways glance back toward the garden.

"I know more than you think," Hera shrugged. "I mean, what with Meg's relationship with Adonis."

Hercules head snapped back around as he stared at his step-mother, coldness in her eyes that chilled him to the bone.

"You really don't know, do you? Your precious bride belonged to another."

"I think it's time for you to leave," Hercules said simply.

Hera clucked her tongue, "Very well my child. Don't bother seeing me out. You really should get back to tending to your…_wife."_

Hercules watched as Hera shuffled her way out of the dining hall, robes billowing behind her. Once she was gone, he turned back to the window yet again and found that Meg had settled herself on a nearby bench to read. Hercules knew he shouldn't take Hera's words to heart, that more than likely she was simply looking to cause trouble. Try as he might to quell the thoughts that his wife may have loved another and that she was merely here out of obligation to her kingdom, the words burned. That sense of emptiness he had felt before now sat in the pit of his stomach and threatened to swallow him whole.

* * *

**Storybrooke: Present Day**

It had only been two days since Hercules had arrived in Storybrooke, and Meg felt as if she was slowly going crazy. She had done her best to avoid him, keeping their interactions with just each other to a minimum. It proved to be an impossible task when she realized she was the only person he knew in Storybrooke, he was in a strange land, and he was looking to her to soften the adjustment. He had found her in the diner that morning sitting alone and slid into the empty booth across from hers.

"Good morning, Meg," he greeted her, bringing his hand up to scratch the back of his head as he pretended to be interested in something across the room.

Meg knew his tell. He needed a favor and it was something he was embarrassed to ask.

"What do you need?" she asked flatly.

"Well..I.."he shifted uncomfortably. "While I am grateful that the pirate has let me make use of his garments, I was hoping…"

"Spit it out," Meg rolled her eyes. The sooner he asked whatever it was he needed, the sooner she could be done with it and hopefully find some place to hide for the rest of the day.

"I was hoping you might be able to help me procure something a bit less…" he waved a hand toward his middle and looked around as if someone else might hear what he was about to say, "Snug."

Meg brought her coffee cup to her mouth, hoping he wouldn't see her smirk, finally understanding what he was trying to get at.

He leaned forward a bit, lowering his voice, "Honestly, I don't understand how the men in this realm can wear these things. I feel like everything is...I don't even know how to explain it. What I wouldn't give for a nice tunic right about now."

"Aww you miss the 'free and easy' lifestyle huh?" she chuckled.

"It's not funny!" he hissed. "It's hard enough adjusting to this realm without my…_masculinity…_being abused by a pair of silly pants. Besides, it's not just that. I feel as if I'm going to rip this shirt." As if to prove his point, he flexed to show just how much the seams were struggling against his arms and torso.

She shook her head, catching herself staring as his muscles strained against the fabric. _Alright, Meg, get ahold of yourself._

She leaned in, moving close and noted he looked a bit surprised, as if he thought she might be about to make some kind of romantic gesture. "I'll let you in on a little secret of this realm…it's called underwear."

Hercules sat back in his seat. He looked like he wanted to say something, like he was mulling over some deep rooted thoughts that he'd been carrying with him for a long time. Whatever it was he wanted to say, Meg knew she couldn't hear it. She was not going to let him break her. Taking one final sip of her coffee, she slid the mug to the side. The need to escape this situation was growing stronger by the minute. She looked around the diner, wishing Killian was around. Maybe she could pawn Hercules off on him. He'd surely have a much better perspective on men's garments than she did. Unfortunately, he was nowhere to be seen.

"Well, have fun with your shopping," she said, sliding out of the booth. She was halfway to the door when he called her name.

"Meg."

She stopped, willing herself not to turn around.

"Meg, will you please help me with my underwear," he said, oblivious to the sniggers and giggles from the diner patrons at the next booth.

Reluctantly she did finally turn back around. It was really kind of a pathetic sight, seeing him sitting at the table looking like a lost puppy. She was almost ready to give in when she noticed Ruby standing nearby, very clearly ogling the blonde man sitting in the booth, and had an idea.

"Come with me," she said, grabbing Ruby by the arm and pulling her to the table.

"What—"

"Ruby, Hercules. Hercules, Ruby," Meg quickly introduced them. "Hercules here needs some help, and I think you just may be able to provide it."

Hercules gave Ruby a small smile. Meg flinched a bit when he glanced back at her, seemingly putting the pieces together of what she was trying to do. She thought she saw a twinge of hurt in his eyes, and she quickly pushed it away.

"Anyways," she continued, turning to Ruby. "Hercules has been borrowing clothes, and they don't exactly fit. I know you are really up on the latest fashion trends in this realm and thought maybe you could show him the best place to pick up a few things of his own."

"You want me to take your boyfriend shopping?" Ruby raised an eyebrow.

"Not my boyfriend," Meg replied quickly. "But, yeah. I have…something I need to take care of or I'd do it myself," she lied. "So what do you say?"

Ruby looked hesitant at first then glanced back over at Hercules. Meg could see the wheels turning in her head and her eyes start to wander.  
"I'll owe you a favor, Ruby?" Meg smiled.

"Yeah, yeah I can help," Ruby nodded.

"Good. Now you two kids have fun," Meg replied, quickly making her exit before she ended up being called back again. Once she was outside and a safe distance away she leaned against the nearest building. A small part of her felt bad for what she'd done, a bigger part of her knew in the grand scheme of things it was for the best.

* * *

By the time Ruby and Hercules finished shopping, it's nearly lunchtime. They walked back to the diner, chatting cordially, in spite of the fact that Hercules' thoughts were elsewhere. Once they reached the Inn, he thanked Ruby for her help and headed up to his room to deposit the bags of clothing. He'd fully intended on heading back downstairs to grab some lunch but instead found himself staring at Meg's door, wondering if she was in there. He thought about knocking, quickly deciding against it. Cornering her in her room would only serve to drive her further away, and that was most certainly not his goal. When he came downstairs he noticed Meg sitting in with of the far booths having lunch with Killian and hesitated for a moment deciding whether or not to go over.

"Hello Meg, Killian," he greeted the pair, mustering up the gumption to approach their table.

The shift in Meg's demeanor was palpable. Apparently Killian sensed the tension as well, because he suddenly looked uncomfortable.

"Well, thanks for lunch, Killian," Meg said, doing her best to avoid making eye contact with Hercules as she slid out of the booth to make another hasty exit.

Hercules watched her leave, suddenly unsure of what he wanted. Any animosity Meg had towards him was his own fault, and he wasn't quite sure what he'd expected. It didn't change the fact that she was clearly avoiding him, and the harsh reality of her chilly reception felt as if she had slapped him in the face. He was honestly surprised that she hadn't just reached out and hit him. When his wits returned Hercules realized the pirate was still sitting in the booth next to where he was standing and looked like he wasn't sure what to do with himself after the awkward encounter.

"You know mate," Killian finally spoke. "I have a bit of a project at the harbor. Maybe you could assist me."

Hercules turned to the other man, suddenly grateful for the offer to do something useful that might prove a welcome distraction from his current situation. The two men walked toward the harbor together in silence. They reached the docks and Hercules followed Hook to one of the nearby boats.

"I don't mean to be presumptuous," Hercules mused. "I expected a pirate ship to be a bit…bigger."

Killian looked up from where he'd been rummaging through some bins on the deck. "It's not about the size, mate. It's about the man at the helm."

"I'll hazard a guess then and say this vessel does not belong to you?" Hercules probed, stepping onto the deck.

"No, it does not. But if you have qualms about whether or not I've stolen it, given my status as a pirate, then I can assure you it belongs to a friend and I am merely assisting with some renovations," Killian huffed, tossing a rag to the blonde man.

"I didn't mean to imply that you'd stolen anything," Hercules said quickly. "I just assumed you may have given up the pirating lifestyle. Your lady, Emma, is it? She's the sheriff?"

Killian chuckled. "Isn't it always about a woman?"

"It seems that way," Hercules replied. He coughed a bit and shifted nervously. "So, how did you meet Megara?"

"I was travelling the seas and moored my vessel in the port of Thebes," Killian explained. "We ran into each other, quite literally…she bloody well almost broke my ribs."

Hercules chucked a bit, the tension easing a bit. "She's…"

"A bit of a spitfire?" Killian finished.

"That," Hercules nodded "And stubborn. Meg doesn't mince words, for sure."

"Ah. Yes, I know the type."

"I can't say that I blame her though for the grievances she has with me."

Killian cocked his head a bit, dipping his rag into the open can of varnish at his feet. "There does seem to be some animosity there."

"Rightfully so," Hercules looked down, suddenly feeling ashamed. "I mean…I'm the one who left her."

If Killian was phased by this new revelation, he didn't show it. From observing Meg and Killian's interactions it was clear that there was a comradery between the two, and he expected his confession to be met with judgement, anger, and quite possibly violence. They remained quiet as they worked and every so often Hercules would glance over at the other man, mainly just to reassure himself he wasn't making a mess that might delay the progress of the project.

"You know mate," Killian finally spoke after what seemed like eternity, "I won't pry into the circumstances of what happened between you and Meg, but if there is one thing I've learned about winning the heart of a lady, you can't force it, regardless of how much it may pain you. You may just need to back off, give her space and time, and let her come to you."

Hercules nodded, letting Killian's words sink in. They continued working for a bit longer until Killian declared it was starting to get dark and he needed to meet Emma.

"Thank you," Hercules smiled. "The distraction and the discussion were much appreciated."

"No trouble at all mate. You're quite handy to have around," Killian nodded.

Suddenly Hercules caught sight of someone a short ways down the beach. "I'll let you catch up to your Emma. I think I may stay and admire the view for a bit."

Killian nodded again and with a quick wave headed off toward the diner. Hercules turned and started making his way down the shoreline.

"Fancy seeing you here," he said, finding Meg sitting on an old log near the water. He had to resist the urge to step back when she turned to him with a glare he swore could pierce skin.

"You're just everywhere I want to be, aren't you?" Meg replied sarcastically, turning back to the water.

Hercules flinched, knowing he needed to choose his words cautiously. "Well, you've been avoiding me, or pawning me off on your friends."

As soon as he said it he knew he had chosen wrong. Meg reeled on him, a fury on her face like nothing he had ever seen before. She stepped toward him and this time he did move away when he saw her hand clench at her side. He braced for her to hit him.

"And obviously you didn't get the damn hint," she snapped. "Otherwise, you wouldn't be here right now."

"I had just hoped we could talk," he started.

"Well I don't care to hear anything you have to say, and I have nothing to say to you."

With his attempts at trying to reason with her failing, Hercules felt his own resolve begin to dwindle. Anger and irritation were starting to seep up from some deep recess inside of him. He fought hard to push it away and failed, snapping back, "Well I see you haven't changed much. Still as thick-headed and quick tempered as always, right Megara?"

"Don't you dare!" Meg cried angrily. "I wanted to talk that night, when everything went wrong. You tossed me out, fed me some sorry story about how I was free to go find my true love!"

"I think it was fairly obvious I wasn't in my right mind that night," Hercules replied back in a feeble attempt to defend his self.

His seemingly even-keeled demeanor seemed to stoke Meg's fire. She moved toward him, stepping into his space, and jammed a finger into his face. "I'm not here so you can feel better about what you did. So you can forget whatever silly notion you have of trying to make amends with me. I WILL NOT soothe your wounds. YOU left ME! YOU abandoned ME! You were done with me then…now, I am done with you."

Hercules watched her walk away. He should have heeded her words and just let her go, but foolishly he did the exact opposite. "You never loved me anyways, so what does it matter? I let you go and figured you'd just run back to Adonis like you wanted. Let's be honest, you were only with me out of obligation."

Meg turned, slowly making her way back towards him. She stood right in front of him, staring him down. For a moment he saw the anger etched in her face had disappeared, making way for something else he couldn't quite place. He waited for her to speak, only this time she did reach out and slapped him hard across the face. For the third time in his life, Hercules watched her walk away, knowing in his heart this would be the last time.

**TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: So no flashback in this Chapter, but I think people will enjoy the end. Again, lots more character development because I feel like it's essential to set the stage. As always, reviews and feedback are welcome. **

* * *

It didn't take long for word of what was now affectionately referred to as "the slap heard 'round Storybrooke" to circulate. After Meg had left him standing on the beach stunned, his face feeling as if it was on fire, Hercules had made his way back to the Inn and attempted to sneak up to his room unnoticed. Unfortunately, Ruby happened to be heading down the stairs and noticed the bright red hand print on his cheek. She didn't stop to ask him about it, but pursed her lips and put a finger to them as he dropped his head to avoid her gaze and quickly made his way past.

"So you really hit him, huh?" Ruby asked the next morning.

Meg looked up, seemingly unfazed by the other woman's brazen questioning. "I did not _hit _him," she rolled her eyes. "Hitting implies a closed fist."

"So…what did he do? Did he cheat on you?"

"Ruby!" Snow cried. She had been sitting at the counter trying her best to stay out of things but felt at this point she needed to say something. "That's a little personal, don't you think? Even for you."

"I just mean, it must have been something pretty nasty for you to go all..." Ruby stopped, mimicking a slapping gesture with her hand.

"Well, not that I condone fighting, but whatever happened is Meg's business. We shouldn't pry," Snow huffed.

Meg slunk down in her seat, wishing she could just disappear and make all of this go away. She took a big gulp of her coffee in an attempt finish it quickly so she could leave.

"What's going on?" Emma questioned, sliding up behind Snow and placing an arm around her shoulder.

"Morning Emma," Snow greeted her daughter. "We're just…talking."

Emma's gaze landed on Meg and putting two and two together, figured out what the conversation had been about. She took a seat at the counter and ordered a coffee as Snow and Ruby chatted with each other. They went on for a few more minutes about relationships and of course, since Snow was involved in the conversation there were a few "hopes" and "true loves" tossed around. Emma watched as Meg seemed to sink deeper into the counter, as if she were wishing she could just disappear, and felt bad for the other woman. She realized that although Meg was friendly with Killian, she didn't know much about her.

"Hey," David said with a smile as he approached the group. "Sorry to interrupt, but Emma, we got a call about something we need to go check out."

Emma sat up, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked at her father. "What's up?"

"This is really weird," he replied, hesitating for a moment. "But one of the farmers near the edge of town woke up this morning and found a giant…crop circle...in the middle of his field."

"Really?" Emma sighed. "We've had Snow Queens, hell beasts, and Queens of Darkness…and now, aliens?"

David shrugged his shoulders. "I'm sure it will turn out to be nothing."

"Well then," Emma replied, hitting her knees with her hands. "Guess we should go do some sheriffing."

Snow kissed her husband goodbye and pushed Neal's stroller outside, leaving the brunette alone at the counter.

"Hey, I'll meet you at the car," Emma said to David. He gave her a quick nod and headed out. "Hey, Meg?"

Meg looked up but didn't speak.

"I get it…you know," Emma started, shifting uncomfortably. "I'm sure there's a lot of history with you and Hercules. I…know what that's like." She hesitated for a moment before continuing. "We don't know each other very well, but since you seem to have a pretty good rapore with Killian, maybe we should. There's a potluck here tonight for Granny's birthday. You should come."

"Sounds…fun," Meg replied slowly. "I'll see if I can make it."

"Good," Emma nodded stiffly. "Hopefully I'll see you there."

Meg nodded back, watching as the blonde disappeared out the door.

* * *

Emma had run into Killian on her way to the car and since it appeared they were going to miss their usual morning coffee together, she had asked if he wanted to tag along with her and David.

"This is definitely one of the strangest things I've seen in a while," David spoke, stepping tentatively through the field of damaged crops.

"I'm not even sure of what I'm looking at," Killian mused.

Emma stood up from where she had been squatting down nearby. "Crop circles. Some people believe when aliens come to a planet looking to colonize it that their ships leave giant patterns in fields."

"Aliens?" Killian questioned.

"Yeah. You know…little green men from outer space, extraterrestrials, E.T."

"I have no idea what any of those things are. Do we need to be preparing ourselves for battle?"

"I think you and I need to have a Netflix marathon," Emma sighed.

"I've seen photos of crop circles in books," David spoke. "But this one looks a little…small compared to what I've read about."

"Honestly, this is probably just a harmless teenage prank," Emma shrugged. "It's not hard to make one with a few boards and some rope."

"And you know this how?" David raised an eyebrow quizzically.

Emma looked down, kicking at a dirt clod with one of her boots, looking slightly embarrassed. "The internet."

"There's something strange," Killian noted from a short distance away. "You said boards and ropes, aye?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well," he said picking up a piece of plant. "These don't so much look bent as they do…scorched."

"Yeah, I don't think we're dealing with teenage pranking," David replied.

"Then what are we talking about here?" Emma asked.

They were interrupted by David's phone ringing and he stepped a short distance away to listen to whoever was on the other end. When he returned he looked flustered. "No rest for the wicked today apparently."

"What's going on now?" Emma asked.

"Someone broke into the pawn shop."

* * *

Emma tentatively stepped over a few of the items that had been strewn about the floor of Mr. Gold's shop. He'd shown up that morning to find the place had been turned upside down. It wouldn't be the first time this had happened; although this time he'd been a bit surprised.

"It doesn't look like anyone forced their way in," David said from where he was examining the front door.

"No broken windows," Emma added. She turned to Gold, "Is there anything missing?"

"I haven't finished inventorying everything," he replied, a bit sarcastically. "I'd hoped to finish that once I cleaned things up."

"I'd ask if you knew of anyone who might have a grudge or a reason to break in," Emma replied. "But that would pretty much make everyone in town a suspect."

"Your boyfriend being near the top of that list, Miss Swan," Gold snipped, tossing a glare towards Killian.

Killian's shoulders straightened and his jaw clenched. "In all fairness, you did try to crush my heart."

"And If I remember correctly, you poisoned me with Dreamshade."

"Alright boys," Emma interrupted, sensing the direction the conversation was heading. "I think that's enough." She turned to Gold, keeping an eye on Killian as he glared shot daggers at the other man. "We'll take some statements and talk to a few people. Just let us know if you find anything missing."

Emma and David finished their investigation and signed some paperwork while Killian went outside to wait for them.

"You alright?"

"Fine, love," Killian sighed. "You know the history," he gestured toward the pawn shop with his head.

She snaked her arms around his waist and leaned her head against his chest. "I know." As an afterthought she looked to where David was waiting by the sheriff car and called out, "We're going to walk back. We'll meet you at Granny's."

David nodded and climbed back into the car, disappearing a moment later. Once he was gone, Emma slid her hand into Killian's and they started the walk back together.

"It's been a weird day," she scrunched up her nose.

Killian looked down at her as they walked, silently asking what she meant.

"I don't know. I just have that feeling…"

"And what feeling is that, Swan?"

"The one where something crazy is about to happen,"

"Ah well, let's at least try and enjoy the festivities tonight before the impending chaos ensues," Killian chuckled.

She slapped him playfully on the chest. "I was hoping you'd tell me I was being silly and it's all in my head."

"Well then, you're being silly and it's all in your head."

"Ha-ha, very funny," Emma rolled her eyes.

Killian smiled at her, pressing a kiss to her forehead as they made their way into the diner hand in hand.

* * *

By the time Meg came down from her room, it seemed like most of the town was already crammed into the small space of the diner. She wished Granny a quick happy birthday, grabbed a drink and, surprisingly found an empty booth. As she watched people talking and laughing, drinking, and playing darts, Meg suddenly felt very out of place. Even though she had been a Storybrooke resident for roughly two-years, she realized that she didn't really _know _anyone other than Killian.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Killian asked, flashing Meg a smile as he slid into a seat.

_Speak of the devil._

"Just watching the scene," she shrugged.

"It's a party. Why not, you know, party?"

"Guess I'm not big on celebrations."

"Well that's unfortunate," Killian replied, taking a sip of his beer.

Suddenly Meg noticed Hercules making his way to the counter. Killian turned and followed her gaze.

"I take it things have gone south with the two of you?"

Meg rolled her eyes. "There is most definitely no 'two of us'. I'm sure you heard all about my little escapade."

"I'm not one to believe in rumors and I don't fancy gossip."

"Well then, yes, I slapped him, and yes I felt good about it."

"I'm sure if you felt that was the best move, he probably deserved it."

Meg looked down, trying to pretend she was more interested in her drink. Killian seemed to sense she wasn't in the mood to discuss the matter.

"Look, love, I already told you I won't pry, but there's no sense sulking over it."

"I'm not sulking," Meg looked up.

"If you say so," Killian replied, noticing Robin gesturing him toward the dart board. "Don't have too much fun."

Meg spent the remainder of the evening _not-_sulking in her booth and as the party wound down, people began trickling out. She watched as Killian whispered something to Emma that made her blush, before he disappeared upstairs, followed by David giving his wife a quick kiss and heading out with the baby. Eventually the only people left were Emma, Ruby and a few other women chatting casually at the counter. Meg was just about to leave herself when Emma dropped another drink in front of her and sat down.

"I was just about to go, but thanks anyways for the drink."

"I said we should get to know each other better," Emma shrugged. "You don't seem big on social gatherings, so I thought maybe if it was just a few of us…"

Meg sat back against the seat, trying to decide whether or not to excuse herself again. Ultimately she let social conventions decide for her and figured one last drink couldn't hurt.

"So…" Meg said, pulling the glass toward her.

"Just how bad did he burn you?" Ruby asked, taking a seat next to Emma.

"Really, Ruby?" Snow rolled her eyes. She maneuvered herself off the barstool at the counter and made her way over to the other women.

Meg suddenly felt like she was being ganged up on.

"I just mean, there is CLEARLY something still there," Ruby said. "I see you watching him every time you're both in here at the same time. He watches you too; when he thinks you aren't looking."

"Don't mind Ruby," Snow shook her head, squeezing into the booth next to Meg. "Whatever happened between you two, it's your business. I will agree though, he seems to still care about you. I mean you are married."

"Were," Meg corrected. "The marriage ship sailed away a long time ago."

"You shouldn't give up hope though," Snow sighed dreamily. "I mean, if he's your true love, then I'm sure you can work through whatever happened."

"Sometimes things just aren't meant to work out," Emma said bluntly. "Not every relationship is true love."

"Thank you, Emma. I'm glad someone gets it," Meg replied, raising her glass toward the other woman.

"So…DID cheat on you?" Ruby blurted out, repeating her question from earlier that morning.

"Ruby!" Snow cried, eyes wide.

Meg felt the need to squash that thought before it went any further. Just because she and Hercules had a complicated past and a relationship she had no desire to rekindle, there was no need to ruin his chances if at some point he decided to pursue another woman. She didn't want people to think he was that kind of a cad. "No, he did not cheat on me. I'll give you that one."

"Besides it's not like everyone here doesn't have some pretty crappy histories when it comes to their love lives," Emma shrugged.

"What's going on over here?" Belle smiled, appearing next to the table.

"Oh we're just commiserating about men and love and all sorts of fun stuff," Emma told her.

"Ah, I see," Belle replied, and Meg noticed a bit of sadness in her expression.

"You know what else is weird," Emma mused. "I think pretty much everyone here has had a hand in ruining someone else's relationships."

"Excuse me?" Meg raised an eyebrow.

"Well, we all have these really messed up histories and we kind of did some of it to each other."

"You can say that again," Regina's voice called out from the counter. "I lost my true love when that one," she gestured towards Emma, "decided to time travel and bring back his long dead wife. Who then turned out to actually be my dead half-sister, the Wicked Witch."

"Hey, I didn't know she was his wife, or your sister, when I brought her back. Besides, you have Robin now," Emma defended herself.

"My husband stole Emma's boyfriend's heart, made him do horrible things and then tried to kill him," Belle added. "Before I banished him from town, only…to have him come back and try and kill my new boyfriend."

"It's not like you've been innocent in the love or life ruining department, Regina," Snow turned around. "Cursed us all and married my husband off to someone else."

"I ate my boyfriend," Ruby suddenly blurted out. Everyone turned to stare at her with either wide-eyes or in Regina's case, eye-rolling. "What? You all knew that. Well, most of you did anyways."

"Well, I think the point is," Snow coughed, breaking the silence, "That we're all in a good place now. It's not really worth it if you don't have to work for it. Sometimes it just takes something big to happen for you to realize what you want."

"Well, I don't think I want him back," Meg shrugged.

"Ah, well...you don't _think _you want him back, but to me…that means you don't know," Snow replied. "Anyways, it's getting late and I should get back to David and the baby. It was good chatting with you ladies, we should do this girl talk thing again." She stood from the table and waved as she made her way out.

"If you want my advice, Meg," Regina said pointedly, "What you really need is a night of just meaningless sex with someone you don't care about. Once that tension is gone, maybe you'll be able to stop making googly eyes with the man you _clearly _don't want back."

Meg shot Regina a menacing look as she wiggled her fingers at the remaining women and followed Snow out. Soon Belle and Ruby departed as well, leaving just Emma and Meg alone in the booth.

"Don't let any of what we said freak you out," Emma said. "I'm sure you'll figure things out. I'm going to head upstairs and check on my drunk pirate. You'll be alright?"

"Oh, I'll be fine," Meg replied. "Thanks though, for the chat."

"No problem. Have a good night."

Meg waved goodbye as she dragged herself out of the booth. She gathered up a few glasses from the table and headed to the back to wash them. Once she was done she made sure all of the lights were off in the diner and decided maybe some fresh air and a quick stroll around the block would ease her mind. Patting her pocket to make sure she had her key, she headed out the back door and started making her way down the street. She hadn't gotten far from the building when a figure in the street made her stop dead in her tracks. Even in the dark, with his features lit by street lamps and a slick black suit instead of a tunic, Meg knew who it was. She stood frozen, unable to move and hoped to all the Gods he hadn't seen her. The man turned, and she quickly shoved herself in the narrow space between two buildings, letting out the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. Standing on the street not ten feet from where Meg was hidden, was Hades.

**TBC**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: So I had a second part that was supposed to be included in this chapter, but I got so carried away with the Captain Swan hurt/comfort I broke it into two pieces. It actually worked out better, because it will give me a chance to include another flashback piece to the story. As always, reviews and comments are welcome. Oh, and..enjoy the start of villainous hijinx. :)**

* * *

**Fairy Tale Land: The Past, Kingdom of Thebes**

As Hades sauntered along the path leading up to the palace, the sky lit with a giant crack of lightening. He had been summoned to see King Zeus and it stood to reason his brother-in-law was not happy with him about one thing or another, hence the theatrics in the sky. Once he finally arrived at the castle gates, having been in no real hurry and had kept up a fairly leisurely pace, Hades rolled his eyes as the two guards nervously stepped out of his way. If there was one thing he could say about Zeus, it was that he enjoyed the finer things in life. The entrance hall of his palace was all glitz and glam, with lush red tapestries emblazoned with his trademark lightning bolt symbol, adorning the walls. There were podiums with vases and trinkets the king had collected on his various travels, as well as portraits of Zeus himself, of course, lining the corridor. Hades reached over and grabbed a vase off one of the displays in the corridor, noticing one of Zeus's servants eying him warily. He pretended to trip, jiggling the more than likely expensive piece of artwork as if he was going to drop it, sniggering when the servant's eyes widened in horror. With an eye-roll he put the vase back and made his way to Zeus's council room, the nervous servant following a short distance behind.

"The King will be with you shortly," the servant stammered, watching as the keeper of the Underworld wandered around the room touching various objects.

Hades snatched up a few grapes from a bowl on the table, eying the servant, waiting for him to leave. The young man continued to stand at the threshold of the door fidgeting nervously. With a smirk, Hades made his way around the table breathtakingly slowly, and finally came to stand in front of the servant, who squirmed under his gaze. He reached out with long slender fingers, wiping them on the back of the nervous servant's tunic, then leaned down into his face and ever so softly, but still menacingly whispered, "Boo."

The servant's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open as he skittered backwards as fast as he could, shutting the door quickly behind him. Once the nervous man had disappeared, Hades made his way back to the large table in the center of the room. He grabbed a handful of grapes and made his way to the chair at the head of the council table, Zeus's chair of course, propped his feet up and started tossing the fruit in the air and catching it with his mouth. Just as his boredom was reaching its peak, the door to the council chamber swung open, slamming against the wall and knocking down a painting as King Zeus stormed in.

"I was beginning to wonder when you were going to grace me with your presence dear brother-in-law," Hades smirked, making no move to vacate the King's seat. "You know I abhor being kept waiting."

Another crack of lightening lit up the sky outside.

"You will do well to curb that insolent tone with me," Zeus's voice boomed, echoing off the walls.

Sighing dramatically, Hades stood from his seat, "You sound upset. Things not going well with your lovely wife? Where is my dear sister tonight by the way?"

"You know very well why I've summoned you hear tonight," Zeus replied, slamming his fists down on the table.

"Oh, wait. This is about your little girlfriend, Alcmene, isn't it?" Hades replied, feigning boredom.

"When I granted you charge of the Underworld it was as a Guardian!" Zeus roared. "It was to watch over those who had passed on, not take souls on a whim to suit your flights of fancy!"

"So this is about Alcmene?" Hades questioned again, stifling a yawn.

"I have had enough of your games Hades. You leave me no choice."

"Such theatrics dear brother," Hades sighed, ignoring the warning tone in the King's voice as he sauntered about the room. "You always did have a flare the dramatic."

"By my order, you are no longer the guardian of the Underworld," Zeus spoke, his voice low and calm. "You shall walk this earthly realm…"

"What!" Hades roared, his head snapping up. "You can't do this…you…"

"And…stripped of the powers bestowed upon a guardian," Zeus continued.

The room suddenly filled with a blinding flash of white, cracks of lightning echoing from the walls. Hades clutched his head, screaming in agony as he slumped to the floor. He could feel the power draining from his body and he writhed, nothing more than a quivering mass of flesh. Just as suddenly as the light appeared it was gone. Hades lay on the cold stone floor panting heavily. He reached for the scabbard at his side, finding it empty, his sword gone. Struggling, he managed to pull himself up against the table and leaned heavily against it. Zeus was gone, he was alone, and the magnitude of what had just been robbed from him began to sink in. He lashed out in anger, roaring at the top of his lungs and began reaching for anything he could find to smash. In his weakened state he again slumped to the floor, and vowed to himself with every fiber of his being that Zeus would pay for what he had taken.

* * *

**Storybrooke: The Present**

Meg paced back and forth across her room nervously chewing on her fingernails. She hadn't told anyone who she'd seen lurking on the streets that night, and it was leaving her nerves shot. Part of her felt like she needed to tell someone. Hercules had been her first choice, but the fact that he'd been working for Hades, coupled with the fact they weren't speaking had quickly nixed that plan. Another part of her wondered if she was overreacting. What if it wasn't even him? She hadn't been in this town long and it was a fair assumption she hadn't met everyone.

_Emma. _Maybe the sheriff would be able to shed some light on the man she'd seen. For all Meg knew he was just a sharply dressed shopkeeper out for a midnight stroll. Yes, she would go see Emma, and if nothing else maybe the walk would help clear her head.

_Of course. Just my luck, _Meg thought bitterly to herself after arriving at the sheriff station and finding the doors locked and one of the patrol cars missing. She hung around for a few moments, wondering if maybe the blonde had merely stepped out for a cup of coffee. When Emma didn't return after about fifteen minutes, Meg shoved her hands deep into her pockets and tried to decide what to do next. She was lost so deep in her own thoughts she didn't even realize that she'd walked toward the harbor until her feet were already on the deck. Taking a seat at one of the nearby tables, Meg took a deep breath, letting the salty air fill her lungs. She wasn't sure when she'd developed the habit, unable to recall a time or a memory from childhood where she was particularly fond of water, but at some point in recent times she found herself here when her thoughts were muddled and she needed to think. There was something about watching the waves roll in and out and the way the sun glowed as it fell below the horizon that calmed her. She looked up at the sound of a loud noise from behind her and turned toward the sound. Hesitating for a minute, she heard the sound again and decided to investigate, following the sounds to one of the nearby boat houses. By the time she reached the racket, it was now accompanied by the familiar sounds of accented curses. Meg smirked, finding Killian working on something with one of the boats.

"Bloody hell!" he grumbled.

"That's an awful lot of noise you're making there," Meg said, announcing her presence.

Killian turned around, wiping his hand on a rag. "Hello, love. What are you doing down here at this hour?"

"Just…out for a bit of a walk and heard you sounding like you were breaking the place down," she replied. "What are you working on?"

"Nothing too terribly important, just trying to decide if any of these small vessels are still seaworthy and doing a bit of light cleaning."

"Ah, I see. Need a hand?" Meg smirked and Killian rolled his eyes at her poor attempt at humor. "No Emma tonight?"

"She's been quite busy the past few days. Lots of random criminal activity and suspicious incidents I suppose," he replied, noticing his friend's somewhat distracted demeanor. "You seem a bit vexed tonight."

"Strange and suspicious incidents?" Meg questioned.

"Apparently so. It's had her working late quite a few nights." he replied, tossing Meg a rag. "You can make yourself useful while we talk."

"Well that's unfortunate," Meg swallowed thickly as she caught the towel Killian tossed at her.

Killian turned back to his work, Meg stepping next to him and mimicking his actions. She wasn't sure what happened next, and to be honest she wasn't sure Killian did either. All she knew was that he must have heard the cracking first.

"Meg, look out!" he yelled.

The next thing Meg knew she was being shoved roughly out of the way and found herself flat on her back on the deck. She lay there stunned, the wind knocked out of her and she took a few gasping breaths before she was able to push herself to sitting. It was then she noticed the gaping hole in the ceiling and her eyes drifted to where Killian was now sprawled out on his stomach, covered in what she assumed was the debris from the roof.

"Killian!" she cried, crawling towards him.

The only thing she could see was the top of his head. The rest of him was covered with planks of wood and pieces of the support beams from the ceiling. He wasn't moving and she prayed that he was only unconscious.

"Killian?" Meg called again; hear heart hammering in her chest as she gingerly started pulling pieces of wood off of his body. "Can you hear me?"

_Shit! Shit, shit shit!_

"Come on and talk to me," she kept prodding. "Killian, god damnit, answer me!"

Meg managed to remove most of the debris from around Killian's head and face, unburying him down to about the middle of his back. She was afraid to remove anything more without knowing how badly he may be injured. Reaching down she felt his neck and breathed a sigh of relief to find he had a pulse and was still breathing. She looked around hoping there would be someone to help her, but aside from the two of them the docks were empty. Meg dug in her pocket and pulled out her phone and dialed 911. She briefly explained what had happened, someone was injured and she needed an ambulance. Once she hung up with the dispatcher, her next thought was that she needed to call Emma. Meg didn't want to leave Killian's side for long, but she knew she needed to let Emma know what happened. She located his jacket hanging nearby and dug his phone out of the pocket. Moving back to sit near her friend, she thumbed through his contacts and hit the button to call Emma.

_Hi, this is Emma Swan, leave a message._

"Damnit!" she cursed as the call went straight to voice mail. Who else could she call? She scrolled through Killian's phonebook again and found David's number, hitting the button and praying the other sheriff answered.

"Hello?" David's voice echoed back through the phone, picking up on just the second ring.

"David its Meg," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "There's been an accident, it's Killian. You need to find Emma."

"What happened? Is he alright?" David asked quickly.

"Just find Emma and meet us at the hospital," Meg replied, hearing the sirens pulling up a short distance away. David's voice was still on the line, but Killian had started to stir, and she quickly closed the phone shut and tucked it in her pocket effectively hanging up on the other man.

"Stay still, Killian," Meg said softly, trying to quell her own panic. "It's alright, help's here. Just don't move."

The paramedics made their way down the pier pushing a gurney with them. Meg tried to back out of their way, but at the same time stay close enough to Killian to be of any comfort if he needed it. They asked her questions about what had happened, and she answered as best she could. She watched as they removed the remainder of the debris, uncovering the rest of Killian's body. His fidgeting was starting to increase, despite the paramedics and Meg trying to tell him to stay still. They put a collar around his neck and slid a board under him before rolling him gently onto his back. One of the paramedics started an IV, while the other started cutting off Killian's blouse, leaving him in just an undershirt.

"Possible fractured wrist," One of the paramedics said.

"Emma," Killian mumbled.

"It's alright, I called her," Meg said softly, her hand resting on Killian's upper arm while one of the medics worked to splint his hand. "She'll meet us at the hospital."

Once the medics were satisfied that Killian was stable and ready to be moved, they loaded the backboard onto the gurney. The paramedics told Meg she could ride along so she grabbed Killian's jacked and followed. Once situated in the ambulance, Meg resumed her spot near Killian's head, again resting a reassuring hand on his shoulder as they departed for the hospital.

* * *

Killian's first thoughts as he groggily opened his eyes were what had happened, and why the hell was he in so much pain. Everything hurt. His head was throbbing, he couldn't seem to move the fingers of his right hand, and it felt like someone had stabbed him in the back. His next was being unable to move his head or neck. He realized that there was some sort of collar around his throat and he suddenly felt closed in and confined, and it immediately unnerved him. It was a quirk he thought he had long since outgrown, but in this moment all he could think about was getting rid of the device around his neck.

"Take this off," he muttered, attempting to reach up with his right hand to pull it off himself, and winced at the shooting pain in his lower arm.

"Hey, it's ok," a gentle female voice tried to reassure him. It wasn't Emma's voice though. He blinked his eyes and looked as far to the side as he could to find Meg standing over him.

"Need this off, now," he repeated, growing more agitated.

"They just want to make sure you haven't broken you neck," Meg tried to explain. "I'm sure someone will come in and remove it."

"Now!" he said again, trying to shift on the bed.

"Just stay still, deep breaths. Let me see if I can find someone…"

A moment later a face and a white coat appeared over him and he repeated his earlier demand to remove the neck brace.

"I'm going to undo this, but you need to lie extremely still," the doctor said.

There was a sound of Velcro being detached as the doctor undid the collar enough to be able to get his hands in. "Any pain in your neck or shoulders?"

"No," Killian replied, letting his eyes slip closed.

The doctor asked him a few more questions, had him move his head from side to side, and then shined a light in his eyes. "The x-rays of your neck look good," he spoke. "So I think we can leave this off for now. We're waiting on the series from your hand and the results of your CT scan to come back and then we'll see where we're at. How's the pain?"

"It bloody hurts," Killian snipped. "I feel like I've been kicked in the back. Head. Arm."

"I can bring you some Tylenol, but unfortunately right now can't prescribe anything stronger due to the concussion," the doctor replied, lifting up the ice pack to check on Killian's wrist.

"Can I at least sit up a bit?" Killian asked.

The doctor reached over and adjusted the controls on the bed to elevate his patient's head. "I'll come back and check on you in a little while."

Once the doctor left, Killian gingerly shifted a bit to look at Meg. "What happened?"

"You shoved me out of the way…and had half a roof collapse on you," Meg replied. "Scared the hell out of me."

Killian chuckled a bit and immediately winced. They sat in silence for a while, Meg lost in thought and gently rubbing Killian's upper arm in her best attempt to be comforting. She snapped out of her reverie when he began fidgeting again and she noticed he looked a bit green. "Are you alright?"

"I think…" he said breathily, struggling to sit up.

Meg managed to reach behind her for one of those tiny hospital buckets, just in time to put it in front of Killian's face before he started vomiting.

* * *

Emma practically flew through the automatic doors of the hospital. "What the hell happened? Is he ok? Where is he?" she peppered David with questions, her eyes wide.

David reached out to rest his hands on her shoulders. "He's alright. I guess he was working in one of the boat houses and the ceiling collapsed. Meg was with him, she called an ambulance."

"Is he ok? Can I see him?"

"He's going to be fine," David assured her. "He has a concussion, a sprained wrist and a severely strained lower back. But he's going to be fine. Come on, I'll take you to him."

"I am so, so sorry," Emma gushed, coming into the room and immediately taking a spot at the left side of Killian's bed. "I was investigating a suspicious fire on the other side of town and left my phone charging in the car. Are you alright?"

"They just gave him a shot of something," Meg said. "He's been nauseous and throwing up."

"I'm alright, love," Killian said quietly.

Emma could tell by the look on his face he was in a fair amount of pain. She looked him over, wanting to be comforting but was unsure of a safe place to touch him.

"I'll let you two have some privacy," Meg said. "Killian, I'll check on you later. Get some rest."

"Meg?" Emma called back and the brunette stopped at the door and looked back. "Thank you. For staying with him."

"No problem," she replied, looking down and giving the pair a small smile as she left.

Emma made her way to the other side of the bed and gently lifted up the ice pack to examine Killian's wrist, wincing at his swollen fingers and very much bruised hand.

"So, a roof collapsed on top of you?" Emma sighed, replacing the ice pack and standing back up to plant a gentle kiss on Killian's forehead.

"Apparently so," Killian sighed, rolling his head to the side. "Could you do me a favor, love?"

"Anything," Emma replied.

"Find out when they're going to let me go home?"

"I'll see what I can do, but they may want to keep you for the rest of the night."

Killian squeezed his eyes shut, frustrated.

"Let me see what I can find out," she patted his arm.

Killian's doctor was hesitant at first to consider discharging his patient. Killian of course was ready to leave, much preferring the comfort of his own bed, and threatening to walk out otherwise. They struck a compromise and it was decided that if he was compliant, and rested, and didn't vomit again within the next two hours, the doctor would consider letting him leave. With a little gentle nudging from Emma, Killian had conceded and did his best to try and take a short nap. A short time later they had come in and fitted his hand with some sort of soft brace, checked his eyes and ears and asked him a bunch of questions and with a final signature on some paperwork he was wheeled out to Emma's car with strict instructions to rest. They made a quick stop at the pharmacy and headed back to Granny's.

"You doing alright?" Emma asked.

They were halfway up the stairs, when Killian stopped and placed his hand against the wall, his breathing somewhat ragged. "Fine love, just need a minute."

Eventually they made it up the stairs and to his room. Killian eased himself down to sitting on the bed, closing his eyes and waiting for the wave of pain to dissipate.

"I know you're probably tired," Emma said, setting the bag of prescripts along with Killian's jacket and his hook on the nearby desk. "But do you feel up to showering? The warm water might help your back. They prescribed you a muscle relaxer, but I can't give it to you until tomorrow evening if you think you need it. Not with the concussion."

Killian sighed, the prospect of a shower sounding appealing. "I don't know if I have the energy to stand."

"I can draw you a bath."

Thinking for a moment, he opened his eyes. "Aye, maybe that would be a wise idea. If for nothing else but to get this…sticky glue off my chest," he said.

Emma helped him stand and make his way into the bathroom. Killian leaned gingerly against the wall while she filled up the tub. His inability to really bend much at the waist meant Emma had to help him undress. She knew he was in pain based on the fact he didn't even bother to make a smart remark or innuendo about her removing his clothes. Helping him ease into the tub, Emma sat on the closed lid of the toilet while he soaked.

"Love?" he finally spoke and Emma looked up. "I don't really have hands to do this with…do you think…" he gestured toward the soap.

Emma moved to sit on the floor in front of the tub, taking the washcloth. She squeezed out some body wash and started trying to pick the adhesive from the heart monitor tabs out of Killian's chest hair. "I don't think this is going to come out all at once," she told him. "And if I scrub at it, it's going to hurt and I really don't want to add to your misery."

Killian nodded, letting his head rest on his knees.

"I'm really sorry," she said softly.

"For what, love?" Killian replied, turning his head to look at her.

"That I wasn't there when you needed me."

"It's alright, Swan. I know you were busy."

"I should have had my phone on me…"

"You got there as soon as you found out, there's nothing else that could have been done, unless you were the one I was shoving out of peril's way," he sighed.

Emma smiled sympathetically. "You ready to get out and go lay down?"

Killian nodded slowly. Emma helped him stand and maneuver his way out of the tub. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist, following him out of the bathroom with a gentle hand on his back. Somehow she managed to help him re-dress. It was quite a show, really, trying to put someone else's pants on. Killian had to lean back against the wall, gingerly raising one leg at a time as far as he could before it sent waves of pain through his back while Emma slid his feet through the holes. Once the task was accomplished he made his way back to the bed, easing himself down with the moves of an elderly man. Emma pulled the blankets over his legs and was starting to get herself ready for bed when Killian began to fidget, his face screwed up in a mixture of pain and frustration.

"What's wrong?"

"You know I bloody can't sleep on my stomach," he snapped, "and now I can't sleep on my damned back either."

With a heavy sigh, he tossed his left arm across his forehead. "I'm sorry, Emma. I shouldn't be so rude."

"You don't have anything to apologize for. I know you're in pain," she said reassuringly. "Here…kind of roll to your side a bit for a second."

Killian moved around, Emma's hand firmly on his side. She grabbed a few extra pillows, shoving them along his back and then eased him back down on the small pillow wall she'd made. "How's that? Not on your stomach, but it will take some of the pressure off your back."

"Better," he replied with a small, tired smile. "Thank you."

"Good," she said, giving him a kiss on the forehead. "Now, get some rest. I'm setting my alarm for 4 hours from now. Then I'm waking you up to make sure you haven't died in your sleep."

Emma made her way to the other side of the bed, easing down slowly so as not to jostle Killian. She didn't even remember falling asleep herself until she was jerked awake a short time later to pained thrashing and seething through teeth. Flicking the light on, she glanced over at Killian.

"Bloody hell!" he gritted, grinding his teeth.

"What's wrong?" Emma asked, concern edged in her voice.

"My back, feels like I'm being stabbed."

Emma moved over, sliding her hand under his shirt. She winced, feeling the ripple of his muscles as they tightened and relaxed. "You're having a muscle spasm," she explained.

"Well whatever it is, it bloody well hurts!"

"I'm going to try something, just tell me if it hurts more when I do it," Emma spoke, pressing her fingers into the muscles of his back.

Killian winced, flinching at her touch but gradually relaxed a little as she started trying to smooth out the muscles. It took a good fifteen minutes of Emma pushing on him, but the spasms eventually stopped and turned into a continuous ache. After a moment, Emma got up and told him she'd be right back.

Digging around in the community linen closet in the hall, Emma hoped she could find what she was looking for. "Thank you Granny," she muttered, pulling an electric heating pad off the shelf and carrying it back into the room.

Killian watched her plug in the device and turn it on. "What is that?"

Emma waited until the pad began to heat up and then eased Killian forward a bit, sliding it between his back and the pillows. His eyes fluttered a bit at the warmth. "Heating pad. Should help with the achiness."

"Mmmm," he mumbled, letting his eyes fall closed.

"Helping?" she asked, settling back into bed next to him and turning off the light. Killian only mumbled in response. Emma scooted a bit closer, still being careful not to get too close, but just close enough where she could run a hand soothingly through his hair. She lay there in the dark for a long while, just listening to Killian's breathing even out as he finally fell back asleep. Eventually sleep began to tug at her as well and it wasn't long before she was out too.

* * *

In her room next door, Meg paced. Somehow in her mind she knew what had happened at the harbor was meant for her. There was no doubt in her mind now that it was Hades she'd seen the other night. She didn't know why, or what his plans were, but she knew that it wouldn't be good. He'd injured Killian, her friend. This should have been the final straw, the point where she knew that she needed to tell someone what was going on. Something deep inside told her that if she did things would get much, much worse. So Meg paced, and agonized, stretching the tense muscles in her neck, and swore to herself that as soon as daylight broke and she made sure Killian was truly alright, she would find Emma Swan and tell her the whole story.

TBC


End file.
